US2549755A - Burner base for hot-water tanks - Google Patents

Description

April 24, 1951 M. G. BURWELL BURNER BASE FOR HOT-WATER TANKS med April 24,y 1947 I l INVENTOR,

Maurel 6r. Buf1/Veil ATTORNEY.

l Il lllll Il al l1 Il!! 1IllllIIlllllllllllllllllIlIIillllllllllllllllllllilllin III r l |.IIIlllllllllIIIIIIIllllllll||l|||l||||||||||||||ll|llllllllllllll Patented Apr. 24, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,549,755 a BURNERBASE Foa Hor-WATER TANKS Maurel G. Burweu, columbus, ohio Application April 24, 1947, Serial No. 743,547

The present invention deals with liquid heating apparatus, and has particular reference to a heater base upon which a hot water tank is positioned, and is afforded direct heat for the purpose of elevating the temperature of water or other liquids contained therein. d

The primary object of the invention is to provide a base structure, including a fuel burner, which is adapted to receive and support a hot water tank of the type embodying a laterallyoffset side-arm heating coil which in normal operation serves to supply heat by convection flow to the liquid contained within the tank.

It is another object of this invention to provide a burner mechanism for hot water tanks which is adapted to heat both the bottom Yof the associated tank, and the side arm coil thereof, in order to more efhciently utilize the heat given off from a quantity of fuel, and to quickly and efliciently heat avbodyI of water contained within the associated hot water tank. Y

It is still a further object of this invention to provide a mechanism of the type described which is structurally simple, and is composed of relatively few and simple replaceable parts, thereby permitting the device to be installed in a quick and facile manner upon the ordinary type of hot -water tank.

For a further understanding of thc-:present invention reference is made to the following de,- scription and accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. -1 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken through an improved liquid heating assembly formed in accordance with the present invention;

Eig. 2 isV a vertical sectional view-taken along the line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional View taken through the fuel burner and its associated fiame box which form an integral part of the base structure; l

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken along the line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View of the fuel burner. Referring now to the drawing and to the single illustrative embodiment of the present invention disclosed therein, the numeral I refers to a substantially cylindrical hot water tank of any suitable size, and having introduced therein a watersupplying inlet 2 and a dischargejoutlet `3. These members are disposed in the normal manner within the tank whereby cold water is introduced `at the lower end of the tank and heated water withdrawn substantially from the upper portion thereof. Preferably; the inner surface of the tank is lined with a ceramic material 4,'which prevents rusting of the tank, when the same is formed from a metallic material, and the conse- 2 Claims. (Cl. 122-183) tively with the lower and upper region of the tank interior. Disposed adjacent the tank, in vertical alignment therewith and surrounding the side Varm coil 5, is a substantially circular ue 6 which functions to direct the heated gaseous products of combustion from the burner up-l wardly to ultimately be discharged through a suitable stack l. the associated fiue 6 is a jacket of insulating ma terial 8 which serves to protect the tank against undue heat loss. v

Disposed below the tank I and the iiue 6, and supporting the former is a substantially cylindrical base generally designated by the numeral 9. More specifically, the base 9 comprises a circular side wall II), and vertically spaced upper and lower walls II and I2 respectively. The upper wall II of the base 9 provides a shelf upon which the bottom flange I3 ofthe tank rests, and defines with the bottom wall I4 of the tank a heating chamber I5 disposed in direct contact with the bottom of the tank. At one side, the upper wall II of the base is cut away as at I6 to provide a passageway leading from one corner of the chamber I5 to a laterally offset exhaust chamber I?. The upper end of the exhaust chamber vII is` provided with a stub-conduit adapted to fit within the lower end of the ue 6 which extends longitudinally of the tank I.

Extending inwardly Vof the base through an opening vI9 formed in the side wall thereof, and disposed between the upper and lower walls, is a tubular gas burner I9 which is provided substantially at its outer end with a plurality of flame orifices 2.0. Disposed directly above and in vertical registration with the flame orifices 2|) of the burner I9, is a fiame box 2I which is adapted' to direct the flame issuing from vthe burner I9 upwardly into the heating chamber I5 disposed below the bottom of the tank I. The arne box 2| is formed in al generally prismatic or cylindrical configuration, and is provided with spaced inner and outer walls 22 and 23 respectively, these walls being joined by integrally formed and spaced webs 24, which -are flanged at their upper ends to provide a lip from which the box is suspended within an opening formed in the upper wall I I of the base. The outer wall 23 of the box is'extended on one of its sides to provide a dependent flange 25 in which is formed an opening adapted to'receive the outer vend of the gas burner I9, in order to support the sarn'e in a relatively xed position with respect to the box.`Av Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing, it will be seen that the lower wall I2 of the base is provided with an opening 26 through which atmospheric air may pass inwardly of the chamber formed between the upper and lower walls. This opening 26 provides suicient draft to direct the flame issuing from the burner I9 up- Wardly of the flame box and into the heating Enea-sing both the tank I and chamber l formed between the lower portion of the tank and the upper wall of the base, and to ultimately direct the gaseous products of combustion upwardly through the flue 6 and around the heater coil 5, as indicated by arrows in Fig. I. The space between the inner and outer walls 22 and 23 of the flame box 2l, provides a passageway through which atmospheric air present within the chamber of the base may pass to insure complete combustion of the fuel within the heating chamber l5. Also, the air in passing through this passageway will be pre-heated by striking the inner walls of the ame box, and upon passage to the heating chamber l5 will create a draft around the open flame port of the box thereby directing the flame issuing therefrom laterally through the heating chamber and downwardly through the passageway i9 into the lower end of the flue 6. Referring particularly to Fig. 5 of the drawings, it will be seen that the initial mixture of air with the gaseous fuel accomplished exteriorly of the base by means of air intake openings 25 formed in the breech end of the tubular burner I9.

In a preferred form, the burner head i9 is connected at its breech end with a gas-ejecting nozzle 21 disposed at the end of a gas supplying conduit 28. be provided with a manually controlled shut off valve 29, and may be tapped and provided with a pilot conduit 39 which is introduced interiorly of the base through the side wall thereof, and directed to the flame box 2| to provide a constant pilot light for the main burner I9. Also, the main gas conduit 28 is provided with a thermostatically operated gas valve 3i, having a heat responsive element 32 extending internally of the tank l at any suitable location therein.

In operation, the base 9 functions to provide a support for the associated hot water tank, and the upper wall thereof forms a chamber with the bottom of the tank adapted to directly receive side flanges of the tank; a bottom wall having an air intake opening therein and carried by said side wall in spaced relation to said top wall and defining with said side and top Walls a substantially enclosed mixing chamber; a gaseous fuel burner extending through said side wall and into said mixing chamber; a re box depending from said top wall directly above said burner for directing a flame issuing from said burner from said mixing chamber to the bottom of a tank received within the open chamber defined by said side wall and top wall; and means defining a flue passage in said base and communicating, respectively, with said open chamber and the chamber in which the heat-transfer coil of said tank is carried, whereby gaseous products of combustion emanating from said burner may be directed from the bottom of said tank to the heat-transfer coil thereof.

2. Liquid-heating apparatus comprising a vertically arranged tank having a laterally offset side arm heat-transfer coil and a bottom wall The conduit 23 may advantageously bounded by a depending marginal edge flange; a base supporting said tank and formed with an upstanding side wall telescoping about the depending marginal edge ange of said tank and a horizontally disposed top wall arranged intermediate the ends of the side wall and supporting the margin edge flange of said tank, the top wall of said base dening with the bottom wall and depending marginal edge flange of said tank a substantially enclosed heating chamber, said top wall being formed with a ame port; a fue] burner positioned below the top wall of said base in alignment with the flame port formed in said top wall; a vertically arranged open-ended conduit depending from the top wall of said base directly above said fuel burner for directing flames the flame from the gas burner i9 to supply heat to the bottom of the tank and to the water contained therein. In addition to this direct contact by the flame, the heat emanating from the hot gaseous products of combustion ultimately passes from the heating chamber l5 by way of the laterally offset exhaust chamber i7 into the bottom of the associated flue 6 which contains the spirally wound side arm coils 5, and additional heat is transferred to the liquid lthrough this coil.

In view of the foregoing it will be seen that the present invention provides both a useful and mechanically eicient heat transfer device for hot water heating systems, and is readily adaptable for use with presently known and used hot water tanks having the ordina-ry side arm heating'coil. Further, by nature of its construction the base may be readily assembled or disassembled according to the needs of the user and requirements of repair. The invention is further characterized by its structural simplicity, its economy of maintenance and manufacture, and its ease of installation.

I claim:

1. A burner base for a hot water tank of the type having a side arm heat-transfer coil carried within a chamber disposed adjacent the tank and side flanges extendingbeyond the bottom of the tank, said base comprising an upstanding side wall; a top wall extending perpendicularly to said side wall a distance below the upper edge thereof, said side wall and top wall defining an open chamber for the reception of the bottom issuing from said fuel burner to said heating chamber; an upwardly opening fiue pipe connection formed on said base in laterally offset relation to said tank, said base being formed with a passageway extending from the top wall thereof to said flue pipe connection for conducting gaseous products of combustion emanating from said burner and introduced within said heating chamber to said flue pipe connection; and a vertcally arranged flue pipe communicating at its lower end with the flue pipe connection of said base and enclosing the side arm heat transfer coil of said tank for conducting gaseous products of combustion emanating from said burner away from said base and in heat-transfer relation to the side arm coil of said tank.

MAUREL G. BURWELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 315,713 Bunker Apr. 14, 1885 1,150,948 Laziny Aug. 24, 1915 2,029,337 Parker Feb. 4, 1936 2,041,683 Ames May 26, 1936 2,102,800 Killmeyer Dec. 21, 1937 2,126,969 Morrow Aug. 16, 1938 2,356,657 Davis Aug. 22, 1944 2,414,875 Horne Jan. 28, 194'7 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 108,703 Australia Oct. 19, 1939

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